Field of the Invention and Detailed Description of the Related Art
This invention relates to an electronic endoscope system wherein a camera controlling unit processing video signals for an imaging device and a motor controlling unit driving and controlling a bending driving motor or the like are made separate bodies.
Recently, there is extensively utilized an endoscope whereby organs within a body cavity can be observed by inserting an elongate insert section into a body cavity and various therapeutic treatments can be made by using a treating instrument inserted through a treating instrument channel as required.
The above mentioned endoscope is provided on the distal end side of the insert section with a bendable portion so as to be controllable by a bending means on the hand base side and to be insertable into a bent body cavity or the like.
As shown in the publication, for example, of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 26042/1987, in a means for operating the above mentioned bendable portion, a bending operation knob is provided in an operating section so that, when this bending operation knob is rotated and operated, one of a pair of bending wires will be pulled but the other will be relaxed so as to be able to bend the bendable portion so that the pulled side may be inside. In the case of pulling/relaxing a pair of wires manually as in this prior art example, a considerable power will be required. Therefore, there is an electrically operated endoscope wherein such bending driving means as an electric motor is provided so that, when it is switched on/off by a switch or the like, the motor will be controlled to rotate/stop to be able to bend and control the bendable portion.
Recently, instead of a fiber scope transmitting an optical image through an image guide, there is also used an electronic endoscope (electronic scope) wherein such solid state imaging device as a charge coupled device (CCD) is arranged in the image forming position of an objective lens. In the case of observing with this electronic endoscope, it will be used as an electronic endoscope system wherein an image signal made by photoelectrically converting an optical image with a solid state imaging device is transmitted to a signal processing means through a signal cable and a video signal obtained by processing the signal by the signal processing means can be displayed in a monitor. Also, in this electronic endoscope system, instead of using the electronic endoscope, there may be used a TV camera externally fitted scope fitted with a TV camera in the eyepiece portion of a fiber scope.
The above mentioned endoscope system has an advantage that an image can be more easily recorded, reproduced and sought than by an optical endoscope system and is to be used extensively in the future.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,618 there is disclosed a system in which a bending motor control unit (abbreviated as a bending MCU hereinafter), camera control unit (abbreviated as a CCU hereinafter), light source apparatus and monitor are made integral. Also, in U.S. Pat. 4,941,456 there is disclosed a system in which a bending MCU and CCU are made integral and a monitor is separate.
Either of the above mentioned two U.S. patents in which the bending MCU and CCU are made integral can be used in the endoscope exclusively for its system but can not be substantially used by using the existing electronic endoscope. Also, the TV camera externally fitted scope in which the fiber scope connector and TV camera connector are separate from each other can not be used.
Generally, an (electronic) endoscope proper for the uses is selected and used and is therefore desirable to be of a system which can be used by replacing only the (electronic) endoscope. There is also a defect that it is not interchangeable with the existing (electronic) endoscope and can not be used for a new (electronic) endoscope made by improving the existing one.